#what would their quest be where would they go

[portraitofalinkonfyre]

Some Bunny Loves You!

Pairing: Legend x Reader

Warning(s): Completely shameless smut. You're welcome.

Notes: Written for the amazing @h4wari, I SEE YOU BESTIE!!

Masterlist

If there was one thing you loved about traveling with a bunch of heroes on a quest to save Hyrule, it was that you were never alone. Having lived quietly for most of your life, their rambunctious presence was nothing short of a godsend, even if it meant you had to walk over ten miles daily and occasionally suffer at the hands of Hyrule's "delicious" cooking.

The forest was unusually alive–the chirping birds and rustling leaves creating a symphony that weaved through the trees with unusual grace–as you trudged down the worn path, heading for the river Sky had offhandedly mentioned over last night's salmon risotto. It had been a bit since you'd treated yourself to a proper bath, and you were determined to make the most of the rare time off.

You followed the path as it veered left, adjusting your heavy pack over your shoulders, already imagine how good the water would feel–once you got over the chill, of course. A glance over your shoulder confirmed that you were indeed alone, not that you expected anyone to follow you when you announced your intention to bathe. Legend had even walked in the opposite direction of the river in a supposed quest to gather berries for Wild's next cooking creation, which was honestly amazing of him.

Rustle.

You stilled as a quiet rustling noise came from a large shrub on the outskirts of the path, instinctively reaching for the dagger Legend had gifted you a few months ago. "Who's there?" you called out, giving whatever was out there a chance to come out before shit got nasty. "If you don't come out, I'm going to–"

Rustle.

You advanced on the bush, the gleaming blade clenched tightly in your fist... until the bush shook thickly and a pink blur shot from the bottom of it. You yelped, gingerly sidestepping the blur as it shot straight for your feet, revealing a... was that a rabbit?

You immediately dropped to a squat, sheathing your dagger as you studied the creature. It was on the larger size, fur pinker than the horizon at dawn, wearing what appeared to be a little red vest.

"Oh my Hylia," you breathed, unable to comprehend the cuteness before you. You took a deep breath, plopped down on the ground, and squealed: "You are so cute!!"

The rabbit's ears twitched adorably as it turned to face you fully. You reached a hand out, moving torturously slow until your fingers brushed the sinfully soft fur at the top of its head. It was a full-on battle to keep your squee!!! of joy to a reasonable level for the sake of not scaring away the creature, but you somehow managed, lip trembling from the sheer amount of effort you were employing to contain yourself. "Where did you come from, handsome?" you cooed, because that vest was nothing short of dapper, fingers trailing to rub tenderly at the rabbit's soft ears. "It's a good thing I found you, Hylia forbid you run into Wolfie."

The rabbit hopped closer when you added the very tips of your nails to the scratching process, and your heart damn near melted at the sight. "I could just hug you right now," you scratched harder, earning yourself a small thump from one of the rabbit's hind legs. Your hand swept down to caress the bunny's back, and it was then that you noticed the brownish tone of the fur around his rump and legs.

"You're all dirty," you mumbled slowly, running your finger through the slightly clumped fur. It was a shame, really, because you couldn't recall ever seeing such an astounding creature.

Wait...

"That's it!" You cried, hands cupping under the rabbit's chest and butt before you hoisted it up against your chest. The creature squirmed, legs kicking gently against your ribcage, and you rubbed its back softly. "It's okay, sweetie, we're just going to take a bath together and get all clean, alright?"

The bunny wiggled more, but you held it steady, continuing down the path to the river.

Legend knew he was in deep shit.

He hadn't even meant to follow you, having stayed true to his goal of gathering berries for Wild... until he caught sight of your swaying form walking along the trees, and something deep inside his chest demanded he follow you. The woods could be dangerous, so it couldn't hurt to have an extra layer of protection, especially when you were in such a... vulnerable position, he convinced himself, allowing the transformation into a rabbit to wash over him like water.

With swift hops, he followed you through the undergrowth, carefully avoiding anything that would alert you of his presence. You didn't know about his ability, but the others did, and he'd rather not have to explain anything to anyone. Legend wasn't embarrassed to admit that his gaze lingered on the subtle curve of your ass through those leggings of yours for far longer than appropriate, mostly because he knew no one was around to hear it.

Rustle.

Legend cringed as his hind leg brushed the shrub he was hiding under, and full-blown terror engulfed him when your head snapped in the direction, hand already reaching for the dagger he gifted you a while back under the guise of protecting you. In truth, he really liked seeing you in the fruits of his labor, but since nothing between you was even remotely past friendly, he had to be sneakier than piling protection rings on your fingers like he wanted.

The ground crunched beneath your boots as you took a cautious step further, expression grin. Legend tried to scurry deeper into the thick leaves, praying that you hadn't seen him, and brushed the shrub again in his haste, sending a resonating rustle through his temporary residence.

"Who's there?" your voice, typically filled with mirth, called dangerously, and he knew he had to act fast. There was no way he could transform like this--then he would really be done for. "If you don't come out, I'm going to–"

As the bush rustled one final time, Legend made his choice. His hind legs, tucked under him like two loaded springs, pushed him forward faster than the wind. Your yelp resonated in his ears and you jumped to the side to avoid the undoubtedly pink blur shooting out from the shrub. He landed on the ground a few feet from your form, turning his head just in time to catch the moment your expression changed from shocked to disbelieving to absolutely awestruck.

"Oh my Hylia," you said, and he wanted nothing more than shoot away, but that was far too incriminating, especially since he was positive you would tell the others about your encounter with a fucking pink rabbit. "You are so cute!"

Cute...? You thought he was cute? Legend had to remind himself that you thought you were speaking to just an animal, because the notion that you were speaking those words to him was far too poignant to consider if he wanted to remain sane. Legend had always liked you, perhaps a bit more than he should have, which is why he remained still when your hand reached out slowly, obviously not wanting to scare him, and allowed the tips of your fingers to graze his head.

You cooed some more, and, this time, he was embarrassed to admit the very noticeable swell of heat in his chest. "Where did you come from, handsome?" Legend just knew you were looking at the vest, unable to find a rebuttal to that particular statement; it was pretty neat, he had to admit. "It's a good thing I found you, Hylia forbid you run into Wolfie."

Right. Twilight. Legend cringed at the mention of the hero who had gotten him into this mess in the first place, but his annoyance was quickly rectified when your fingers stroked down the length of his ears, sending tremors of... well, pleasure, sliding down his spine. Hylia, was he even supposed to be feeling this good? "I could just hug you right now," you stated, hand sweeping down to caress his back, and Legend was the first to notice when the adorable look in your eyes morphed into concern. Every nerve in his body bristled at the mere notion of upsetting you, you, and the urge to shift right then and there nearly consumed him. "You're all dirty..."

He was? Legend shot a glance at his backside, cringing when he noticed the massive splotch of mud right above his rump. It must have happened while he was under than bramble bush earlier, having been too preoccupied with watching over you to mind his own appearance.

Legend nearly yelped when your hands cupped his body, lifting him in the air before he could curse Hylia for putting him in such a predicament, all the while you crowed "That's it!" while moving him to rest directly on your chest. Directly. "It's okay, sweetie, we're just going to take a bath together and get all clean, alright?"

You... you were going to what? Legend could hardly think as his hind legs kicked gently against your ribcage in a last-ditch effort to free himself, but your grip held true, keeping him exactly where you wanted him. His paws rested on your collarbone, dully registering the warmth flowing from your skin, but he had far more pressing matters to worry about. For one, you were heading to take a bath, and he was positive one didn't bathe with their clothes on, which meant...

"Hey, it's okay," your hand smoothed down his back as he began to struggle anew. This wasn't what he had in mind when he decided to watch over you, and the wrongness of the situation twisted his soul like a wet rag. For Hylia's sake, he wasn't a pervert!

Yet you walked on, blissfully unaware of the complete and total turmoil raging within him. He was going to hell for this, Legend was sure, if the others' teasing didn't send him there first.

After a few minutes, you made a noise of satisfaction, stepping into the clearing, where a medium-sized river resided. The water looked gentle enough, but he was more preoccupied when you abruptly dropped your pack, kneeling down to set him on the soft grass. "You stay here, okay?" Your smile was softer than silk and brighter than the master sword... and Legend found himself unable to move; as if his small body had simply stopped working, even when your hands pulled your tunic from your body, revealing miles and miles of smooth skin for his perusal. If rabbits could blush, his face would have been redder than a strawberry.

Legend's heart nearly stopped beating as your hands deftly untied the cloth binding your breasts, sighing softly when they were released. Everything felt hot, too hot, when you slid your leggings and undergarments down in one fell swoop, kicking them to the side as you advanced on him with a grin sweeter than honey.

"Hey, bunny, ready to get clean?"

Fuck, was Legend's only thought as he was hauled against your chest once more, breathing deepening when the hard nub of your nipple poked his fluffy stomach. Your hands pulled off his vest, tossing it atop your pack.

You carried him to the shallows, where you sat down cross-legged in the sun-warmed water, gently placing him in the space between your glorious thighs. Legend's paws scrambled against the smooth skin of your thighs as he attempted to climb away, but your hand grabbed the scruff of his neck with an iron grip, tenderly pulling him back down, and he realized escape was no longer an option. "You're too pretty to get dirty," you mused softly, dousing his back with a cupped handful of water, working those nimble fingers into the tangled fur. It felt good–really good, if he was being honest–but that wasn't the point.

You were naked. He was naked. In a river. Alone.

It was a recipe for trouble, and Legend was afraid of what he would do if he turned, of what he would do to your prone, willing form. His hands ached to smooth over your skin, drawing countless whimpers from those pretty lips of yours, until you couldn't take it any longer, eventually dipping down to the treasure between your legs. He imagined bringing you to climax over and over again on his fingers alone, then, while you were most sensitive, bending down to sample that delectable cunt, only giving you his cock when you begged him with pleasured tears gathering in your fluttering lashline–

No! Legend surged forward and bumped his head on your calf. You made a noise of concern, hands immediately reaching to comfort him. "Oh, baby, did I scare you?"

Fuck yeah, you scared him, not with how big or strong you were (though you were unadulteratingly both), but of the sheer amount of power you held over him. You could ask him to jump, and after sneering at you for a few minutes (he had a reputation to protect, after all), all he could ask was 'how high'? You could take anything you wanted from his collection, and he would let you–though not without some grumbles to save face–and your smile could literally bring him to his knees.

Legend was completely head-over-heels for you... and it scared him, the man who thought he would never love again after Koholint. He had fallen for your smile, your kindness, even the way you hummed to yourself when you thought no one was listening. He wanted to wake up to your sleepy kisses in the morning and fall asleep to your gentle breaths in the evening.

There was so much he wanted to do with you... and it felt as though this one moment was bringing everything he had ever planned crashing down. He had it all planned out: a sunset picnic of his and your favorite foods, nestled far away from the prying eyes of the others, so he could finally kiss you if you allowed him to.

But now... now it was ruined. He had ruined it by being so goddamn nosey, and the mere thought of you discovering his secret sent uncomfortable shivers down his spine. At least he could enjoy the feeling of your nails scraping all the grime from his fur, Legend thought glumly, resigning himself to his fate--

"Fuck!"

The word slipped from him like a knife through butter when your nail graced his lower rump, and Legend could have died right there, having completely forgotten he was still capable of speech in this form. Your motions immediately halted, and he could feel your eyes burning into his back... until you lifted him by the scruff and they burned into his enflamed face instead.

Your voice was low, with an undercurrent of complete disbelief, as you brought him closer.

"Did you just speak?"

Legend's soul withered.

You were completely and utter lost for words when a sudden expletive cut through the still air, coming directly from the pink rabbit in your very bare, very naked lap. You felt as though you had finally gone mad when you lifted the creature by its scruff, eyes practically staring holes through its poor chest.

Not that you were particularly concerned with fictional harm, because you knew you had good hearing and were positive that the muffled "fuck" you heard wasn't a figment of your imagination. The voice was too deep, too... unfamiliar to be your own, yet there was something about the tone that had you wondering if you had heard it before.

"Did you just speak?" You whispered, expression completely serious, and the rabbit seemed to shrink under your gaze... as if it understood you in a fundamentally different way. For an animal, at least.

Silence.

"I said," your hand began to tremble from holding the bunny up for so long, so you set him in your lap, never once breaking eye contact. To your surprise, the creature seemed to shrink even more, practically cowering against the inside of your crossed legs. "Did you just speak?"

Still nothing, so you let out a heavy sigh and stood up, casting a shadow over the trembling rabbit. Okay, now you felt a bit bad; you were confused--and frankly a bit terrified--but that didn't give you any right to be a jerk about it. Forcing your expression to shift into something vaguely neutral, you turned on your heel, walking towards your discarded clothes. You hadn't gotten that wet, so it would be easier to dress, but the thought of your ruined bath was a painful one. Hylia, what did you have to do around here to get five minutes of normality?

There was a splashing sound, followed by a soft grunt, and a very Hylian-shaped hand wrapped around your wrist. You shrieked, spinning around to face none other than a buck-naked Legend.

"Legend?" Was the first word to leave your slack-jawed mouth, followed by a very appropriate: "what the fuck?!" when you noticed his nakedness.

Legend's face was flushed beyond belief--fuck, he was red down to the shoulders--and he held his hands out defensively, tone weak and stuttering, all traces of his usual sarcasm gone. "I'm so sorry, I just wanted to make sure you were safe, but you started undressing and I–"

"Slow down," you commanded, surprising even yourself. "Why were you spying on me?"

"I wasn't spying–!" You glared at him and he immediately backed off. "I mean– it's dangerous in the forest and..."

"...And?" You prompted, beginning to blush yourself as you became more aware of your lack of clothes. Dear Hylia, he had seen everything!

"I wanted to protect you!" Legend blurted, his sincerity palpable, but it did nothing to quell your annoyance.

"Then why didn't you, I don't know–" you pinched your temples. "–tell me first?!"

"You would have told me no!" Legend said, expression falling when the wrongness of that particular sentence caught up to him. "Hylia, kill me now," he groaned.

You folded your arms under your chest; he had seen everything already, so why bother hiding it? "Then who would protect me?" you asked in a snarky tone of voice. "Make up your mind, Legend."

"I–... what?"

"Do you want to protect me or not?" You could hardly believe you were saying this, but the words just kept coming. You took a step forward, and he stiffened. "Or are you really just a peeping tom?"

It was almost satisfying how quickly he bristled. Almost. "I'm no such thing–"

"Then prove it," you said as you brushed past him, heading for the water. You'd be damned if you let him ruin your bath time, no matter how annoyingly hot he was.

You didn't bother waiting for a response, entering the water with a soft sigh. It was blissfully cool against your blazing skin, and the first thing you did was submerge your entire body with a loud splash, stretching your arms out to let the water wash over every part of you–

Until there was another splash and you were manhandled out of the water by your shoulders. You yelped in outrage as Legend hoisted you up, muscles flexing deliciously as he held you firmly. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" you screeched at him, annoyed beyond belief.

"Protecting you," his expression was a mix of stony determination and, well, you didn't want to even think about the other emotion you saw shining in his violet eyes. "Or does that make me a peeping tom too?"

That little shit!

"Let me go," you ordered lowly, and he did so, making sure you were balanced before releasing you fully, the water reaching just under your breasts. "Hylia, you are a piece of work."

Legend blinked, the remnants of his earlier blush still clinging to his sharp cheeks, and you refused to acknowledge how you knew they were sharp in the first place. "I am?"

You crossed your arms beneath your chest once more, pushing your boobs up, and his gaze fucking snapped down to ogle you for a split second before returning to your face.

"Did you just check me out?" you gasped, mouth hanging open in disbelief.

Legend's cheeks pinked some more, but he made no move to affirm or deny your accusation, choosing to wade back to the shallows, staring guard with his back to you, revealing a delicious ass for your perusal. You had no qualms staring after the stunt he had just pulled, and, Hylia, was it a fine ass. You doubted you had ever seen anyone with that much cake, no matter how lewd it was to acknowledge such an observation.

'You're staring," Legend's voice broke through the fog, and you snorted.

"Says the peeping tom."

Abruptly, Legend turned. Apprehension filled you as he stalked through the water, but you held firm, going so far as to meet him in the middle, the water pooling just above your belly button. "I'm trying to bathe, hero."

"And I'm trying to protect you, citizen."

...Well, he had you there. Unfortunately for him, you refused to acknowledge it after the madness he had just pulled. "With what weapons? Or are you going to use bunny kicks to fight off the fish?"

Legend's eye twitched, expression darkening, but you didn't care. "Maybe I'd be able to do my job better if you weren't so intent on distracting me," he ground out, and it had you feeling all sorts of ways.

"Oh yeah?" you reached over to poke him in the chest. "I thought you'd be over it after, I don't know, peeping on me."

"That's not true and you know it," his tone sounded exactly how you felt; irritated out of your mind. Good.

He was getting closer... and you found yourself too annoyed to care. "Fuck you, Legend; I don't need your protection more than you need a reality check."

For a moment, he was silent, simply studying you with those mesmerizing eyes of his, and you felt fully prepared for anything he could throw your way.

"You're right."

...Except for that, apparently.

"Excuse me?" You blurted.

"You heard me," Legend mirrored your pose, crossing his arms across his... incredibly toned chest. "It's already hard enough protecting you from monsters, so adding myself to mix definitely complicates things."

Your brain dam-near short-circuited. Did he just...?

"You look surprised," Legend observed with what you could only describe as the most self-satisfied smirk that surpassed anything you'd seen in your life. "What, remlit got your tongue?"

Hylia, when had he gotten so close? You could practically feel his breath fanning over your chilled skin. "You're..." you trailed off, taking a step backward in an attempt to put some space between the two of you, but Legend's smirk only grew as he followed you. "You're insane."

"Maybe," he said, and you were finally forced to acknowledge the second emotion in his eye: lust. You couldn't say you were surprised, considering the current situation, but it was still jarring to see him so... arrogantly confident instead of his usual snarkily confident. "But you don't seem to have any complaints."

Was... was this really happening? Steeling your nerves, you reached to poke his chest again, snarling "you're delusional", but he caught your wrist in a surprisingly firm grip.

"So are you," he was even closer now, practically pressed against your chest. You could feel something hard nudge the inner edge of your thigh, and it took everything in you not to reach down and find out what it was for yourself.

"The fuck are you on about?" you said, internally cringing at the shakiness of your tone.

The twinkling in his eyes was nothing short of evil. "You really don't think I'm the only one enjoying this, do you?"

Your eye twitched, and you harshly yanked your wrist free, replanting it on his chest as a sort of barrier. "What are you on about now, asshole–"

You were cut off when Legend leaned forward, capturing your lips in a passionate kiss. Your head jerked back, just as his arms began to slide around your back, lightly pinning you in place. "What in Hylia's gotten into you–"

"You," Legend cut you off, staring deep into your eyes with that dumb smirk on his face. "You've gotten into me."

It was official; he had finally gone nuts. "Have you gone crazy!?"

"Only for you," he responded, glancing down with a chuckle. You became distinctly aware the heady press of your boobs against his chest and used your free hand to smack him upside the head.

"You pervert!"

He raised a perfect eyebrow and you nearly combusted. "What does that make you, then?"

Fuck this, you had enough of his bullshit. Planting your hands on his chest, you gave a hearty shove, successfully dislodging his arms from you. "That's fucking it," you snarled, moving to the shore. "I hope you're happy, you little shit."

"(Y/n)," the use of your name stopped you in your tracks. With an annoyed expression, you spun around.

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

...Huh?

In all the months you'd known Legend, never before had you heard a sincere apology fall from his lips. It was enough to make your irritation ebb like the water you stood in, especially at the regretful look on his face.

"It's... it's fine," you ran a hand down your face with a sigh. "I just... we're always traveling and there's no time to relax. Ever. I get being alert and all, but it's been so crazy and I–"

"I understand," Legend cut you off, wading into the water until he was all but two feet from you. "It's hard to remember you're not on the same level as us... you hide it well."

Was... that a compliment? From Legend?

"I..." he seemed to hesitate, averting his eyes, and you waited patiently for whatever revelation he was about to bestow upon you. "I like you. A lot."

"Oh," you were helpless to stop the small smile forming on your face. "I like you, too, Legend."

"Don't play coy with me," he growled, stalking closer until only an inch of air separated your bare skin. Violet eyes burned holes in your own. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?"

"Not a clue, so how about you tell me," you shot back.

There was a beat of silence. Legend's brows furrowed for a split second before his expression turned to nothing short of devious.

"I could show you."

You gulped at the look in his eyes; it was dangerous, so very dangerous, but you found yourself not giving a single fuck as you closed the gap between you, snarling three simple words right into his smug little face. "I dare you."

Legend was on you in a flash, arms wrapping around your body to pull you flush against his soaked form as he kissed you with such fervor that you nearly saw stars. His tongue prodded gently at your bottom lip, and you opened your mouth to allow him access with a shaky sigh. You shivered when his tongue slid into your mouth, running over every surface you had to offer, and you moaned lowly at the taste of him; warm and somewhat spicy, like cinnamon with the tiniest twinge of Goron Spice.

It was intoxicating, and you were determined to return the favor. Legend groaned when you wrapped your arms around your neck, arching your back so your chest pressed firmly against his own, all the while slipping your own tongue into his mouth, mimicking his previous actions with rare gusto.

Legend's hands slid down to your hips, though he didn't dare go further, gripping your flesh with purpose when you separated, panting for breath.

"Well?" his voice was far breathier than before, and you resisted the urge to chuckle.

"I think I need a... longer demonstration," you responded slowly, making sure to bat your eyelashes at him. Legend's cheeks flushed a deeper read than a health potion, and you knew you had him hook, line, and sinker. "Unless...?"

"Oh no," he dipped forward to plant a kiss on the side of your neck, and you shivered, thighs clenching together. "No takebacks, (Y/n)."

"G-Good," you said as he peppered the skin of your neck with more open-mouthed kisses, sucking lightly enough to be felt, but not enough to leave marks, no matter how desperately he wanted to brand you as his.

You barely held back a whimper when Legend's tongue slowly glided over your pulse point, eyes trained on your face to watch your reactions. You bit your lip when he lightly grazed the spot with his teeth, a small whine escaping your pursed lips, and he perked up, repeating the action until you relented; a broken moan filling the air between you.

Something hard prodded your thigh, and you just knew it was his cock. Your hand drifted down to wrap gently around his length, slowly stroking him from base to tip beneath the water, and Legend's motions faltered as a groan tore itself from his throat. "(Y/n)..."

You smirked, tightening your hand ever-so-slightly. "Feels good, hero?"

"Keep going," he mumbled into your neck, and you obliged, unoccupied hand tangling in his hair as you pumped his cock faster. "Please, (Y/n)–"

That was new. You hadn't expected him to beg, and you certainly hadn't expected yourself to like it, but here you were. His hands dug harder into the flesh of your hips, likely enough to bruise, but you couldn't care less; it wasn't like anyone but you and him were going to see them.

"Look at me," the words surprised even you, but he snapped his gaze to you and it all became worth it. The sigh alone was enough to make the building anticipation in your gut roll desperately, core clenching around nothing. In true you fashion, you rewarded him with a swift squeeze of your fist, drawing a loud groan from his lips. "That's it, hero."

"Nngh..." Legend's eyes fluttered closed and he buried his face in your neck, breaths turning ragged as you increased the pace. His hips began to rock against your hand, and you let it happen, holding him as best you could. It was a sight to behold--the typically sassy veteran practically reduced to putty beneath your fingers.

"Are you close?" you whispered in his ear, gently taking the outer edge in your teeth.

"Y-Yeah," he said, as if you didn't already know.

"Good," you pumped harder, and he made a noise of surprise.

"W-Wait–... you haven't–"

You cut him off with a single heavy swipe over the head of his cock. Legend shuddered, grasping at you tightly, and you nipped the earlobe in your mouth. "It's fine, you can pay me back later."

"But–"

"Just let go, hero," you tilted his head up by his hair and kissed him like you would die if you didn't, only separating to whisper: "I've got you."

Legend came with a shout, cock throbbing harshly as you stroked him through his orgasm. The water felt sticky as his cum joined the flowing stream, but you didn't mind, especially not when he all but collapsed against you, just barely catching himself as to not topple the two of you.

"Hylia, I love you," he breathed, and you giggled, planting a kiss on his temple.

"I love you too."

Two glimmering violet eyes snapped to you, wide as saucers. "You.."

"–love you, too," you finished, wrapping an arm around his waist to guide him to shore. Legend collapsed on the grassy bank as soon as he reached it, and you settled beside him with a sigh. "How do you feel?"

"Like I just had the best orgasm of my life," he snarked, and you chuckled, turning on your side to sling an arm over his heaving chest, breasts pressed firmly to his left arm. "You do know it's your turn, right?"

You faked a yawn, nuzzling your boobs against his arm. "I dunno, there's no shame in being tired, hero."

There was silence, long enough that you truly thought he had tapped out, which was fine by you. You could have your fun later, hidden in a grove of trees like you usually did when those urges arose.

"...Is that a challenge?"

Or not.

You turned your head to find him staring at you with a mix of mischief and desire, twinkling darkly in those eyes of his. You shifted slightly as your pussy throbbed with need.

"Do you want it to be?"

Legend rolled atop you, drawing a surprised gasp from your throat. His cock, already half hard, rested against your thigh, a thick bead of pre sliding down the flushed tip. "Anything you say is a challenge," he leaned down to capture your lips once more, Your mouth had long since opened, allowing him to have his way with you, until his hips jerked suddenly, forcing the head of his cock to settle at the apex of your thighs.

"Nghh...."

"What was that?" Legend asked teasingly, grabbing your chin when you refused to respond. "Tell me what you want, (Y/n)."

"I want--" the words caught in your throat when he slid his cock up to bump your clit, spreading his pre over the aching bundle of nerves. "I want you, Legend!"

"Mhm," you could see his grin without having to open your eyes, another languid thrust of his hips parting the soaked lips of your cunt. "And what about me do you want?"

You gritted your teeth and glared up at him. "I want your cock, so shut up and give it to me."

A startled laugh left Legend at your admission, clearly having expected you to put up more of a fight. You growled, pushing at his chest, but he deftly captured your wrists, pinning them above your head. "No need to get violent, I'll give you what you want."

"Oh, I'll show you violent–" you were cut off when he slammed into you with a grunt, bottoming out in one fluid motion. Your back arched off the ground as you cried out, cunt fluttering around his length. Legend, however, gave you no time to adjust, pulling nearly all the way out before slamming into you again, starting a pace that had you seeing stars after only a few world-shattering thrusts.

Your legs wrapped around his waist, ankles crossing, as you struggled to meet him thrust for thrust, but Legend was having none of it, leaning down to lave his tongue up the quivering column of your neck, rendering you helpless to do anything but take what he gave you.

"L-Legend!"

"That's it," he groaned, releasing your hands to grab your hips. Your arms immediately flew up to wrap around his neck, pulling you chest-to-chest as every slam of his hips against your own had you screaming: "F-Faster, please–!"

"Don't have to tell me twice," he huffed into your neck, and your back nearly broke from the force of his next thrust. The coil in your abdomen grew tighter and tighter as he fucked you like a man starved, releasing your hips to fondle your breast. You moaned when Legend took a bouncing nipple in his mouth, carefully grazing his teeth against the pebbled nub, and screamed when he moved his free hand between you to rub enticing circles on your clit. "Are you close?"

"YeAH," you cried out at the onslaught of pleasure, writhing like a fish caught in a net. The hand on your breasts moved to press against your hips, holding them still while he pistoned inside you. "P-Please, Legend!"

"It's okay," he murmured, leaning up to press a sweet kiss to the corners of your mouth. "Cum for me, (Y/n)."

And, as if his words weren't enough, his clever fingers pressed down on the center of your clit, sending bolts of electricity shocking through you as your orgasm hit you like a tsunami. Your body spasmed under him, head thrown back while chased his own high, pounding desperately into your cunt like he would never get the chance again, only for him to absolutely slam home as scalding cum filled you.

With a heavy sigh of exertion, Legend slumped over you, head resting between your breasts as he panted for breath, arms wrapping tightly around your spent form.

"That was amazing," you breathed, allowing yourself to relax against the soft grass. One of your hands came up to card gently through his hair. "I love you."

"Love ya too," Legend mumbled into your boobs, and you laughed as his breath fanned over the sensitive flesh.

"You know," you grinned when he squinted suspiciously up at you. "You're a pretty good protector."

"...Are you trying to get me hard again?"

You snorted. "Hell no, but you know what there is time for?"

Legend raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

"A bath."

You both laughed.

Hot damn, this was fun to write, hope y'all enjoyed!

[yanderes-galore]

Hey! requesting some HCs for Ranni (Elden Ring). Thank you!

I watched her cutscenes, I watched her lore, and I'm still not entirely sure what's going on but that's normal for this kind of game. Pardon me if there's something wrong in this concept... I am trying. ALSO, the term "Elden Lord" is used, but it's gender neutral just like in the game.

Sorry if it isn't intense... I will appreciate feedback from the Elden Ring fans.

Yandere! Ranni the Witch Concept

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Possessive behavior, Violence, Isolation, Stalking, Dubious relationship.

I imagine Ranni's darling is the one who helps her achieve her Age of Stars.

You are her Tarnished who came to her at her call.

She needs someone to help her achieve her fate and destiny.

For most of her obsession, you may actually be a willing participant.

Right up until the end when you begin to realize something may be off.

Like most of Elden Ring's yanderes I feel, Ranni isn't all that intense.

She'd mostly watch her obsession through their journey to aid her.

She watches you closely, even if you may not know it.

She sees how you interact with her cohorts and how you fight in battle.

You are a promising Tarnished in her eyes... She can tell through the way you speak and fight.

Sooner or later, she'll deem you the perfect Elden Lord for her new age.

To Ranni, meeting her obsession was yet another destiny she was meant to meet.

To her, you two were always meant to be.

Her chosen Elden Lord.

Her obsession would span throughout her side quest to get the Age of Stars ending.

Since in that ending... Ranni and The Tarnished (you) marry as God and Elden Lord.

That would be the general story idea... Ranni obsessing over her most devoted helper.

At the beginning, she tries not to show much of her favoritism.

Although, by the time you defeat Radahn and unfreeze the stars, she shows her fondness more.

In terms of her overall behavior, I imagine she's mostly the observing type, watching you from a distance and praising your efforts when you meet her.

Ranni prefers to meet you as her larger life-sized doll form.

However, when you pick up her smaller form, she doesn't mind the idea of being held by you while you share a conversation.

Her obsession is unintentional.

She originally doesn't think you'll survive her requests.

Yet when you prove yourself by meeting her again... she thinks you'll prove to be useful to her for her plans.

Then from there... the moon witch begins to grow fond of you.

She's a subtle manipulation yandere, instructing her beloved to follow her every word like a divine command.

She watches over them through her dolls, often wondering when their next meeting will be.

Her obsession starts as curiosity.

As if she's wondering if you'll really be someone she can trust.

However, once you retrieve the lost treasure of Nokron...

She knows you're hers.

Before you even find the Dark Moon ring, Ranni has claimed you as her Tarnished.

You are not loyal to any other covenant, just hers.

Which must mean she has your heart, body, and soul as hers.

In a way, like other yandere covenant/religion leaders or deities, your loyalty makes her feel she has a claim over you.

To differ from canon a bit, maybe Ranni instructs you to find the Dark Moon ring.

She doesn't tell you for what, a subtle trick.

She just gives you small lies, deceiving you by saying it was a gift from her mother that she wants back.

Then she instructs you through her smaller doll to find her location.

Unlike in the game, where she's surprised you are choosing to be her Elden Lord...

She would deceive you into being hers once you slip the ring on one of her fingers.

This is a yandere story, after all, a dark romance.

Her deceiving her Tarnished, her obsession, into being hers in her new age would be something she'd do.

You aren't quite sure what you've done until Ranni appears, claiming you to be her Elden Lord.

There's a ghost of a smile on her face while she watches your shocked expression.

As if challenging you to rebel against her now that such a ritual has been done.

She doesn't think you'll refuse if you've gone this far to listen to her.

As her new consort, you are given the task of removing her old cohorts and defeating her Shadow, Blaidd.

Then after that, she oversees you defeating Queen Marika... Radagon... her traitorous parent of a dreaded Golden Order.

By the end of it, Ranni appears to greet you and the shattered corpse of Marika.

You can't help but feel a chill run down your spine.

Ranni merely greets you with a smile yet again, thanking you for helping her achieve her Age of Stars.

Unfortunately... You cannot part from her now.

Every God requires their Elden Lord.

Their consort.

It doesn't matter if you try to back out now or agree.

Your fate and destiny are sealed.

She may have tricked you, yes...

But she assures you she does it out of love, she only feels love for her beloved consort.

She takes your hand... and you just feel cold.

She grins teasingly, leaning closer as she congratulates you...

A cold kiss cooling your warm lips.

You two are meant to be together now... forever in her new age...

You'll be hers forever...

Just the two of you, overseeing the people in the Age of Stars... Together forever... Just as destiny told her.

You can't fight your destiny... no matter how hard you try... she'll always just tug you back with a kiss... She's as cold as the Dark Moon itself.

[mllemaenad]

It always strikes me as weird that there’s no point at which the Brotherhood and Minutemen automatically come into conflict that I can find. One would think that the Brotherhood’s methods of gathering supplies (basically racketeering) would automatically lead to issues with the Minutemen, whose job is to defend against such raiders. I know the game mechanics reason for this, but can you think of anything in-universe to explain it?

I think there are a few things going on here – some gameplay related, some thematically related. But to be honest I don't think it's always easy to separate those two things.

Point one - who's in charge?

If you follow Fallout 4's opening quests then you are the General of the Minutemen. That means that your Sole Survivor gets to make big important decisions like "do we go to war with this new group?" You do not lead the Brotherhood, Railroad or Institute (you may, of course, inherit control of the Institute at the end of the game, but that's after all these decisions take place) and consequently decisions about who your enemies are take place over your head. You can pick a side if two factions you belong to come into conflict ... but you can't ultimately change their politics.

There is no point in the story where you are forced to go to war with the Brotherhood as the General of the Minutemen ... but you absolutely can go to war with the Brotherhood as the General of the Minutemen.

So this is both a gameplay and narrative point: what does your Sole Survivor think of the Brotherhood of Steel? Maybe they are also a dedicated member of the Brotherhood, and have no problem with them "commandeering" supplies. Maybe you work with the Railroad, and their attitudes frighten you. Maybe you're a pure Minuteman character and just resent another group of raiders causing problems for your settlements.

Every other faction makes the decision of when to invoke "War never changes" for you. This one's on you.

Point two – who shot first?

Obviously, the Brotherhood of Steel does end up in forced conflict with the Railroad as part of the main quest. There's no way to make peace between them, no matter how many quests you've done for either faction.

But. Well. I mean – there's an obvious aggressor in this one. It's not like Desdemona wakes up one morning, finishes her Sugar Bombs and coffee and says "Hey, guys, given that we've just barely clawed our way back from extinction, doesn't picking a fight with a group of heavily armed thugs sound like a great idea?"

There are no Railroad quests that require you to directly attack the Brotherhood until after the Brotherhood tries to murder them. While Brotherhood and Railroad ideals are pretty clearly in conflict, the Railroad absolutely does not want to start another war. They're up to their eyeballs dealing with the Institute. The Brotherhood impose that conflict on them.

Why? Well, they tell you. The first reason is that the Brotherhood are intent on committing genocide, and they are aware that the Railroad's mission would require them to rescue and protect synths.

Even with their relatively small numbers, the Railroad is a constant threat to our operations. They've already proven to be resilient against superior forces, with a knack for disappearing when cornered. Worse still, they possess the capability to help synths flee the Institute. If we intend to end the synth menace, we need to plug the leaks. – Lancer Captain Kells Dialogue, Fallout 4

The other reason is because the Railroad has PAM, and the Brotherhood wants to steal her.

Our sources tell us that the Railroad has some sort of experimental or prototype robot in their headquarters. They're calling the "Predictive Analytic Machine," or "P.A.M." for short. Cute, huh? They use the robot for complex strategic calculations that are much more efficient than anything we can generate here. If you could use this holotape to decrypt the security on P.A.M.'s terminal, it will force the unit to return to the Prydwen. I'm certain we could put P.A.M.'s computing power to good use. Otherwise, destroy it. We wouldn't want it to fall into the Institute's hands. – Proctor Ingram Dialogue, Fallout 4

The conflict between the Brotherhood and Railroad occurs purely at the Brotherhood's instigation. While the Railroad doesn't like the Brotherhood they don't want to fight them unless they have to.

Which brings me back to the Minutemen. As an organisation, the Minutemen are pretty well indifferent to synths. Oh, they're one hundred percent opposed to the Institute sacking settlements with Gen 2s, or people being replaced by synths, or any other scenario where the people they've pledged to protect get hurt ... but there's no official policy on synths themselves.

Preston is broadly pro-freeing the synths because he's a good guy:

I never really thought about synths that way before, but it's hard to argue that they don't deserve freedom like everyone else. – Preston Garvey Dialogue, Fallout 4

But nothing about being involved with the Minutemen actually forces you to help a synth. So they are not on the Brotherhood's radar the way the Railroad are.

The Minutemen is also a pretty low tech organisation. Their signature weapon is the laser musket. Their big rebuilding quest, Old Guns, is about setting up some very old-school artillery. Nothing about that is going to make the Brotherhood start salivating and plotting to steal their stuff. Now, obviously that artillery can turn out to be very effective at dealing with the Prydwen if it comes to that, but that's a very Brotherhood mistake: they think shiny tech will protect them from superior numbers and rational tactics. They made the same error at HELIOS ONE.

So unlike the Railroad, the Minutemen are unlikely targets for Brotherhood aggression at this stage. They aren't forcing a conflict. But like the Railroad, the Minutemen start the game a hair's breadth from annihilation. Most of the game is spent rebuilding both their forces and their credibility. They clear raider strongholds and nests of feral ghouls. They're not much more likely to be actively pushing for an all-out-war than the Railroad.

Point Three - who the hell are these guys, anyway?

After all of that, I recognise there's still a problem, though. Because Feeding the Troops is still a pretty obnoxious quest and it does feel like a thing that would cause issues.

Fallout 4 does a lot with misinformation; appearance versus reality; what someone says and then what they do. I know I've brought it up before, but a big one is the difference between Diamond City and Goodneighbor. And one of the key points about that is that things change: Diamond City wasn't always run by the Institute; Goodneighbor wasn't always setting itself up as a haven for the lost. Things change. Bad things can improve, and good things can slip into evil.

Earlier games had a karma system associated with them: this is good, this is bad. Fallout 4 replaces this with companion opinions, which fits pretty well with its themes and ideas. It's not going to tell you which one is the good karma option. You've got to play the game and figure it out. And yes, sometimes the answer is "there's no good answer".

Two things about the Brotherhood: they arrive relatively late in the game, at the start of Act 2 ... and they were the good guys in Fallout 3. They were very explicitly the good karma option in Fallout 3. While, obviously, each game is going to pick up a bunch of new players who haven't played the older ones, it's also important to recognise that Fallout is a series, and the narrative continues from one game to the next.

By the time Fallout 4 starts all the various factions in the Commonwealth have been locked in conflict with the Institute for decades. Asking them to pivot and immediately start fighting these guys who turned up last Tuesday is a lot. While the Sole Survivor could never have heard of the Brotherhood of Steel, there's a really solid chance that you, the player, have heard of them. And you might make some assumptions, based on that.

They were the good guys, right? Okay, yes, kind of arseholes and a bit of a problem if you were from Underworld but ... they fought the Enclave! They defended Project Purity! They protected people from super mutants! It's a whole thing!

But. Well, there's clearly been a change in leadership since then. And they've specifically reintegrated the Outcasts, i.e. the anti-helping people Brotherhood faction.

Also, the Commonwealth is not the Capital Wasteland. The conflict there was Brotherhood-versus-Enclave and the Enclave was so very bad that virtually anyone could look heroic opposing them. The super mutants never coalesced into a coherent faction who wanted anything; they operated more like a plague. Simpler times. In the Commonwealth there are more factions, more differing ideals. The water needs purifying, sure, but if we could solve the political problems farming wouldn't be a major issue.

You see all this difficulty and ambivalence in the game's characters, too:

The Brotherhood. In Capital Wasteland, they really weren't bad. But now. – Deacon Dialogue, Fallout 4 Those Super Mutants are a threat to everyone in the whole Commonwealth. I'm glad to have the Brotherhood's help to take them out. – Preston Garvey Dialogue, Fallout 4 Long as the Brotherhood of Steel keeps the heavy artillery out of the city limits, they're welcome here. – Diamond City Security Dialogue, Fallout 4 Flying that ship into the heart of the Commonwealth. Mark my words, the Brotherhood's here to start a war. – Nick Valentine Dialogue, Fallout 4

Characters are aware that the Brotherhood did good in the past. They're concerned about the giant airship in their space. They're grateful when the Brotherhood does something that happens to be helpful, even if their reasons were selfish. The decision about what do about them is floating in the air, from the day they turn up.

So now I'm back to my first point. You're the General of the Minutemen. Odds are, defending the Commonwealth as a Minuteman was one of the very first pledges you made at the start of the game. And sure, you're visiting all the factions and doing their quests, because that's how these games work.

Cool. So – I mean, they've asked you to bully and steal from the farmers you swore to protect. If you take your non-human companions to the Prydwen they will say the most horrible things about them. They've sent you to murder your friend Danse, even though he hasn't done anything and it's not like he can choose to not be a synth. They're powering up this really scary robot they can use to terrorise people. They're sending you to slaughter the Railroad, unprovoked, because they want their robot. At what point have you had enough? At what point do you go "Ohhhhh. This is the bad karma faction"?

There's a warning, right at the beginning of their quest line, from Haylen:

Field Scribe Haylen, personal log entry 324A. I'm starting to wonder if joining the Brotherhood of Steel was a good choice. I originally signed up seeking protection and comradeship but I'm worried that I've traded away a bit of my humanity in the process. The Brotherhood's message of hope for the future is idealistic and noble but their methods leave a lot to be desired. The leadership seems especially misguided. Instead of diplomacy, they wield violent confrontation to exert control. Despite all that, I've been successfully avoiding the fighting by following the career path of a field scribe. I suppose only time will tell how long I can stand the sight of spilled blood over my own moral fiber. – Scribe Haylen's Personal Log, Fallout 4

If you can recognise some foreshadowing, you can see where this is going.

I think the game doesn't force you to fight the Brotherhood with the Minutemen because you are the General of the Minutemen. It doesn't have karma options, it asks you to review the situation and make a decision what to do. You can fight the Brotherhood, if you choose to. In fact, you kind of swore that you would.

Yeah, they're running a protection racket. What are you going to do about it?

And I think that's very in line with the sort of story Fallout 4 wants to tell.

[shokami]

babe I need your lucifer morningstar / wriothesley / zhongli / yoUR FAVS HEADCANONS ASAP <333

ONLY IF YOU WANT TO THOUGH!! I love reading your posts! ♥️♥️

COMING INTO MY ASKS LIKE THIS AND TELLING ME TO WRITE IS GOING TO MAKE ME BECOME A FULL TIME WRITER AGAIN. (i’m not complaining, i have so many thoughts i need to get them out)

zhongli

every one tries to uwu-ify zhongli, and i hate it. this man is an archon, one of the oldest. someone who was a warrior. yes, he’s an extinguished gentleman. curtuous, even. i, however, don’t for one second think he’s always like this.

- firm believer that zhongli has to hold himself back, and is quick to anger and frustration, pre current day liyue at least.

- if anyone questioned him, his commands, his leadership, he’d give them a simple look. jaw sat tight, with an expression so unreadable that it would send a chill down their spine, and that alone was enough to silence them.

- in his story quest (i don’t remember if it was his story quest, or an archon quest it was so long ago), he gets aggressive with the fatui when he started to argue. multiple times, he had that look, and stated that “you will suffer the wrath of the rock… you may find it rather unpleasant.” zhongli does not fuck around.

- an aggressive hater of celestia, and the heavenly principals. there were several times post archon war, that he thought about simply handling the issue at hand himself. believed he could, but would be talked down by the other archons, and adepti.

- then the time came where his hand was forced into a contract with the principals. since then, his anger has subsided at least on the external front. every day, he tries to find a way out of that contract without breaking his own morals, and his own meaning as the god of contacts himself.

- now listen. zhongli stepped down from being an archon, but that does not mean he is no longer a god. the gnosis does not equal godhood. while i believe that he did step down because liyue was entering a godless era, i believe he did it for his own selfish reasons as well. zhongli is known for his intelligence, and he knows that war is coming. in one of ei’s voice lines, she states that she believes his story is far from over. i believe that to be true, he has his own plots, and i think he intends to assist the tsaritsa in taking down the heavenly principals. whether it be directly, or indirectly. he’s up to something. he knows far more than he states. his power has not dwindled one bit.

- zhongli hates the idea of erosion, despite talking about it so casually. i think that it terrifies him. that the thought that one day, all of his memories could fade, and that he’d no longer remember. because of that. due to this, the adepti have began to keep journals, or other forms of keeping track of his retellings. each of them have their own version, so that if one day, rex lapis does not remember his own stories, they will be able to remind him bit by bit.

wriothesley

- oh this man has got a past. the orphanage was not pleasant to him. not in the slightest. wrio blames himself for not noticing sooner. not seeing that some children left, and didn’t return. once he began piecing things together, he knew what he was going to do. he couldn’t allow these things to happen, even though he himself was also a child.

- when it came time for him to kill the parents of the orphanage, he didn’t even hesitate. it happened so quickly. it was brutal, messy. a child can’t carry out something clean, and effortlessly. after releasing the other children, he turned himself in.

- wriothesley has ptsd from this, and reoccurring nightmares. not from the murder, but from the children he couldn’t protect sooner. due to that, his sleeping patterns are not good, and borderline unhealthy. instead, he busies himself with work, and fights in the pankration ring.

- now, when wrio got sentenced to the fortress, it was unpleasant for a child. at first. i think rather quickly, he gained the trust of other inmates. inner circles. it taught him quickly about survival. about calculation, gave him cunning traits, and taught him how to deal his cards just right.

- once his sentence was done, he stayed and became the warden. he wanted to change the fortress. i like to think that the warden before him wasn’t a good person, and that the conditions of the underwater prison weren’t great. once he took over, he changed it all. he likes to view it as more of a rehabilitation center, than a prison.

- the scars on wrios neck are definitely from the orphanage, and i refuse to believe otherwise. perhaps something that happened when he first found out what was happening. he confronted the parents, and ended up with those scars from something terrible. it damaged his vocal cords quite a bit (going off that one hc i saw on tiktok awhile ago that i don’t remember where it came from). the scars cause him quite the bit of discomfort sometimes, it’s a mild irritation. that’s why sigewinne tries to give him those gross health shakes to drink. its a remedy for the soreness.

- during his story quest, the traveler asked if he uses the iron fists in his fight in the pankration ring. he said not always, but sometimes you’ve gotta do what you gotta do right? that man is NOT above playing dirty. he’s an undefeated champion in that ring, and when anyone hears they’re facing him, they’re terrified.

- ^ HOWEVER. he’s decent enough to take those he defeats to the head nurse, get them treatment, and ensure they’re doing fine afterwards. in his trailer, we see him giving them handshakes, nods of acknowledgment. he doesn’t fight to be an asshole, it’s to keep the respect, and well- also a distraction for himself.

- now, if i see one more person say that wriothesley is the type to listen to hardcore rock music, i’ll scream. when we are in his office, he put on music that was similar to that of jazz. wrio is a jazz man, classics, instrumentals. it’s calming to him. firm believer that this man would listen to something like sway by michael bublé religiously.

- even though i believe that wriothesley has it in him to be a gentle man, a gentle lover, i can still acknowledge other aspects about him. he’s a flirt. have you seen how confident that man is? he’s shameless. he knows he’s attractive, and he knows how to sway someone so effortlessly. sinful french falls from his lips like it’s second nature, with such a gentle touch that it could have anyone in the palm of his hand and he knows it.

- he’s so busy with the work of the fortress though, that he doesn’t believe he has time for anything that’s actual romance. i’m not saying that he sleeps around (don’t give this man the gojo treatment guys), he simply flirts and sometimes he doesn’t even know he’s doing it. due to his schedule of business in the fortress, if he did end up developing feelings for someone, i believe it would be someone who either frequents the fortress for work, works there directly, or someone who just as much as of a work ethic as him. he needs someone who understands how hectic it is, so that he doesn’t feel neglectful for not being able to supply his full attention to a partner.

- okay my last one for wrio may be a stretch. i’m not 100% sure of the past of the fortress of meropede, so i can’t say if its symbol has always been the three headed dog of cerberus. however, i like to hc that it only became that after wriothesley became the duke. the symbol of cerberus means the past, the present, and the future. wrios past in the orphanage/the way the fortress operated before him, the present day of his control of things, and the future that he sees for the prison and its inmates. cerberus is the gate keeper, a symbol of loyalty, devotion, tenacity, and protection despite being perceived as a terrifying figure to others. i believe that’s how wrio see’s himself.

lucifer

ANOTHER MAN PEOPLE TRY TO UWU-IFY. STOP IT! HES THE LITERAL FUCKING DEVIL YOU MFS.

- lucifer is the original sin. pride. you cannot be the king of hell, and not have your mind plagued in darkness, full of sin, and questionable morals surrounding your duties.

- in the pilot episode, everyone believed that he wasn’t a good person, that he abandoned charlie, that he was rough, that he didn’t care about the sinners, and only wanted control.

let me tell you why, to an extent, that’s still true.

- lucifer tried to convince charlie that the sinners were awful, terrible people. he did not want her involved, and tried to deter her away from the path of redemption for hells inhabitants. he firmly believed that. i think he still believes that, but, he was slightly swayed by charlie’s words and beliefs. after lilith left him, he became secluded. lucifer wasn’t present as a father. right now, he’s trying to reconcile that, and support her despite not believing in her views himself.

- now, i think that part of the reason why lilith left him was due to his views. with how charlie talks about her, she had similar views as her once upon a time. lilith didn’t like that lucifer viewed the sinners as disposable. it angered her, so she left and that hurt him beyond compare.

- how could anyone expect lucifer to have full faith in redemption for the sinners, believe they were worthy of anything? lucifer is the original sin, they exist because of him. how could he face them, have any love in them, when it only reminded him of his failures as an angel, it reminded him of his pain, his tarnishment of his once devine place? he is pride, of course he can’t face them.

- i also read somewhere once in biblical lore, that without sinners, the seven deadly sins powers would dwindle. if people did not have pride, if they weren’t ridden in that sin, lucifer could lose a portion of his power overtime, be weakened. i personally like this, because that’s a solid reason why he wouldn’t want anyone to be redeemed.

- lucifer was abandoned, tossed aside by his father, by his brothers, for what? having a different opinion, wanting to offer different views. in result, it created darkness, pain, it created hell. lucifer is the cause of it. he carries heavy burdens, guilt, eons of trauma. for a millennia, the only thing he has seen is the pain, and the darkness of others in people he tried to defend.

- i need to see his rage, i need to his anger, his darkness, and inside his mind. i know it’s there, and its aching to be released. give me the fight between him and heaven. lucifer is one of the strongest beings in creation, show me his power.

not related to any of that, however!!

there’s a song called whisper by burn the ballroom that i believe fully captures the idea of falling in love with lucifer.

- “so give me your fire, give me your fear, give me your faith when love gives you tears. give me your heart, give me your fate, give me your hand when love gives you hate. give me your prayers up on your feet, and i’ll give you a show it helps fill the seats. so give me your sins, give me your lies, but whisper your love and i’ll whisper mine.” lucifer is so debated after lilith, that falling in love with someone who accepted his sins, his darkness, his rage- it was so foreign. it terrified him of that loss again. he needs someone who understands that depth, his reasoning, his hesitations, his views.

- additionally, the song had a line that says: “and he cries out to god, how could you claim them all when i know that they’re all mine?” this goes hand and hand with my view of lucifer not wanting to redeem sinners for the sake of his power. additionally, imagine how hurt and pissed off he would be when the first sinners get redeemed. how could god, how could heaven accept those redeemed back into the heavenly gates so willingly, but have turned their backs on him with a second of hesitation or his own chance of redemption?

GOD I LOVE LUCIFER MORNINGSTAR

i am so in love with all of these characters, they are so complex, with so much depth and characteristics to analyze. i’m snorting it all like crack 24/7 <3

[sunspots-den-sorts]

The... sacs of blight speak? Or at least have voices coming from within them.

Under cut are some major choice&consequence type spoilers from Act 1. Gathered from multiple people + from a portion of the game they were not allowed to show footage of + information from trailers.

Higher up the spoiler scale + plenty of wild speculation. Proceed with caution.

I've seen a quite few people talking around this when addressing choice and consequence. e.g. Creator A saying: "You can straight up ruin entire cities." Or Creator B talking about where they: "had to save one of two cities." Both use this example when talking about seeing the consequences and significant impacts of choices.

Speculation ahead. About this choice:

We've seen footage from trailers of what seemed to look like blighted!Minrathous - is it one of the two cities?

If it is, then the equivalent 2nd would need to be... Treviso?

I think Rook will be deciding which one is saved and which one is doomed to the blight. The choice being - while the opposing force spends time eating this huge place, we can spend time bolstering our forces.

We will be able to go back to the "ruined city" - and see it now being eaten by the blight? The NPCs we encounter - will we hear them in the blight-sacs? If we get named NPCs talking out of those things - my heart will shatter...

About the size of the game:

Creators were allowed to play: the prologue, a companion recruitment mission, a range of side quests mid-way through Act 1, a major quest midway through Act 1, then the end of Act 1 - ending on a cliffhanger.

Considering they made a major decision and then saw the consequences, the choice between two cities seems to be the major quest midway through Act 1.

I presume we are meant to recruit all companions, meet all factions + have the chance to explore 2 cities prior to making this choice?That is A Lot of game.

Would they really sacrifice one of the two major hubs so early and not have it be useable beyond being blight-infested from midway of Act 1? I would doubt that - so I wonder if we will see significant time skips. Even though this goes slightly against what devs have talked about in terms of the urgency and immediacy of the situation Rook is dealing with.

Maybe it is a sacrifice in Act 1, we can "save it" from acute blight in Act 2 once we raise our reputation with all the factions, and then in Act 3 it is in recovery.

... This is all just so delightful. And I have the perfect solution: simultaneous-Rooks!

Don't want to hear that adorable vendor you met pleading out of a pustule? Simultaneous-Rooks will help! Just load up that 2nd run and everything will be a-okay! 😆😭

[bomber-grl]

Enemies to lovers with Leo Valdez

Pairing(s): Leo Valdez x Gn!Reader

If anything it probs stemmed from a misunderstanding

Maybe you were cranky the first two times he ever approached you

And perhaps you may have taken it out on him

And maybe just maybe he thought u were those stereotypical condescending people

Basically what ensued from then on was just you two attacking each other verbally each time you ran into each other

But then you’re officially introduced to him by either Percy or Annabeth or anyone else that’s part of the 7 that’s close to you

He’d be especially shocked if it’s Piper or Jason who introduces you two to eachother

Of course that doesn’t automatically solve anything and you’re both total assholes to each other still

Leo is complaining about you and how could any of his friends also be yours?

You feel the same exact way

And unfortunately this is a case of forced proximity as is all my hcs because I’m an uncreative bitch

Maybe it’s just me but I’d imagine constant bickering and making faces would be a bit hard to ignore and go unnoticed

So they all agree to force you two to get along

So you’re on the Argo ll and are forced to clean the stables

(Before the Athena Parthenos is put there obv)

It’s not messy messy but it’s still something

You two both finally agreed to be quiet

But then he gets almost thrown out the window by the ship getting rocked by a monster or something

And so you have to save him by obligation

You two are literally hanging out the window and Leo is yelling like crazy bro

Eventually you bring him back and he thanks you

It was done reluctantly- you make sure he knows that

Plus the situation gives you material to make fun of him for 💀

Then some time after that you’re fighting some daily monsters and he (despite not rlly being a fighter) helps you out by firing some of the weapons on the Argo

This incident spawns this unspoken alliance??

Literally everyone else is made aware of it too and even they’re confused

But honestly at least you’re not constantly at each others throats anymore

Instances where you saved each others asses continued from then on out

It got to the point where you saved eachother so often that you became literal 4lifers

Like genuinely enjoying each other’s company despite the occasional off handed remarks

There was obvious tension that you were both teased for by your individual friends

Even couch Hedge acknowledged it 💀

And youd both deny it

I mean it was the obvious choice

But there had always been tension between you two if you’re being honest

Like if someone asked you if you thought Leo was cute , well let’s not say you’d say he was, just that you really couldn’t deny it

And so your interactions and dynamic continued all the way until the prophecy that started this quest came to an end

And so did you interacting with Leo

He was dead, and despite having liked him, you’d never be able to tell him.

That’s something you had come to accept, and something you realized you’d never get the chance to admit to him

Until you could.

Leo appears back at camp with Calypso in tow

Let’s just say Leo felt ok about her and saved her cuz he’s a good guy and she went along cuz she wanted an escape)

Anyway like everyone else you line up to hit him

Ain’t no way you’re running to him when there’s so many other ppl infront 💀

Gods forbid YOU end up being the one that gets jumped

Even from the good amount of distance you’re away from him you can still very much see his- what can be best as described- upset demeanor

Why he looked that way? You didn’t know and couldn’t tell even if held at gunpoint

Well anyways eventually you end up face to face with him and his expression can’t even be described with just a few words

So ill try anyway

Hes absolutely star struck and, in truth, made breathless from the sight of you alone

I mean with the way Leo looks at you, you’d think he spotted his only true want in this world.

The guy doesn’t say anything at all but then he sorta gains consciousness (?)

He tries to hug you but then hesitates- tries again/ then hesitates

Before he could do anything else you slap the hell out of him 💀

The act is honestly so violate and loud it was genuinely startling

Some would say that you jumped him that day of his return but what did they know??

And then you hugged him

A deep, emotionally charged hug

All the days you had spent mourning him, being tortured by his death that you couldn’t help but feel was avoidable despite the prophecy-

And yet you couldn’t help but melt into the hug

Obviously awkwardness follows after- and for a good while after too

But in the end you two end up together (per advice from emmie and Jo once Apollo casually mentioned the undefined relationship between you two as defense against a remark Leo had made)

And after Apollo is done at the waystation (and you’re not already involved there)Leo will ask if you’d want to stay there together and go to school and be “normal” teens.

The answer is up to you, but we all know what you’re gonna choose

Cmon you’re reading this so you’re obviously down bad 💀

[kelsochronicles]

What do you hope to see in Horizon 3?

Love the art btw❤️

I could give a whole TED talk about this lol, but it boils down to a few broad themes:

1. Greater refined focus on a well developed story more than “wow” factor. There’s A LOT of loose ends that need tied up and I’m worried it might detract from the plot too much. A good story is what I believe really drew many of us to the franchise (besides fighting giant robo animals) and getting back to the heart of that I think will cement the series as one of the greatest ever.

2. Aloy finally has a breakdown– like, not holding back, letting it all out. I’m aware there’s a lot of different ways she can express a tipping point moment, but regardless, she needs space to actually process everything. She hasn’t really had one yet and I think it would be strange given everything she’s been through, to not.

3. The first time she says “I love you” should be to Beta. Not a LI (if we get romance options). I freaking need to see them heal and have some sister bonding.

4. Talanah finally becoming a permanent companion (and god willing not being stuck behind an optional side quest AGAIN). We have all the other tribes repped in Aloy’s little group except the Carja. Their parting moment at Barren Light was very telling at where Talanah is emotionally after everything. Given the tensions caused between all the tribes from the Red Raids, Talanah would be an excellent bridge to help mend those gaps as she is in a unique position to empathize from her own losses, as well as her influence being a prominent leader as Sunhawk.

5. Go to Ban-Ur and the Claim. Need I say more lol. Petra for Ealdorwoman or bust.

[crisis-starter]

Hello!

First time touching Loop’s perspective!

I have a name for this part. It’s called Memory of Loss.

You’ll understand why a bit more later.

But for now, Loop time!

Warning for suicide mention

Mostly a suggestion, but Isabeau is also asked to perish soooo… another warning for that.

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Loop couldn’t see Siffrin clearly from where they were. But they could feel their unbridled rage at another loss against the King.

To Loop, it seemed like the fighter and the housemaiden were affected by the kid’s death, but the kid had forgotten about it themselves. Trauma does that to people.

Knowing that at this point, Siffrin doesn’t bother trying to talk to Loop since the King fight is pretty routine, Loop decided to try something. They didn’t know what would happen if they did this. Would they reach their own Isabeau? Or the fighter?

They took a moment to work up the courage. They formulated the fighter in their head, and took the plunge. They spoke, “Hello. Isabeau, correct?” Loop felt the sparks of craft tingling their brain, so they cut in, “Don’t reply. I just want you to listen.”

The craft fizzled out, and Loop sighed in relief. They wanted to hide this from their stardust for a while, and having Isabeau reply would ruin it. Loop continued, “You’ve landed yourself in a time loop, hm? Well, how about you meet me at the Favor Tree the next time you’re in Dormont? Then we could talk about what we know. Since, well, I don’t want you to waste your precious energy on a simple call.”

Loop dropped the call, and waited for the King fight to finish. It was… irritating, to know that the fight against the King could’ve ended much sooner if they had only thought to teach Mirabelle about the damned shield skill. But they could never confess this. Ever. They already chose a role. They didn’t want to drop a twist so soon.

This time it was a victory. They were on the roof. Kudos to the fighter, it didn’t feel like Siffrin suspected anything. It was time to talk to the Head Housemaiden and loop back to Dormont. That’s when Loop felt a twinge of fear. It’s fair, it was muted, somewhat, because Siffrin had already been on the roof a few times. This fear however. This fear was different.

There was pain. Pain that got sharper and sharper. What… what was this… what was he…

Oh.

Oh no.

And Siffrin looped. Back to Dormont supposedly, because Isabeau was nearby, shaken. He was looking at his hands.

Immediately after witnessing a suicide. What a way to meet. They looked at Isabeau. Siffrin was going to perform the friend quests again. Loop was not too keen in seeing those, assuming Siffrin was going to start spiraling mid conversation. Plus, this could mean more time for chatting about Isabeau’s perspective. Loop stood up from their seat on the Favor Tree and called, “Oh Fighter!~”

Isabeau turned his gaze to the Favor Tree. He looked around for any other sign of life before pointing to himself. Loop beckoned him closer before sitting down on their beloved root. Isabeau sat across from Loop, confused. Maybe even a little suspicious.

Loop squinted their eyes in a smile, beginning to tease, “Oh please. Fighter, if you keep looking at me like that, I’m going to assume you’re the Researcher in disguise!” Isabeau was smart. He could probably see through Loop’s mask in practically no time at all. No amount of acting can hide this level of intellect from them. Isabeau looked away a little, seemingly thinking.

My oh my, was Loop finding it odd. Isabeau was usually very boisterous. So this silence was… uncharacteristic!

Loop could guess why. And they would be right.

After a minute, Isabeau stated, “I have… numerous questions.” Loop put a hand over their non existent mouth, “As expected. Fire away, Fighter!” The name made Isabeau stop. He paused.

“Before we begin… I… would not like to be called by an epithet if we’re going to see and speak to each other again.” Isabeau explained. Loop cocked their head to the side, “Very well, darling Apollo.” That caused Isabeau to get confused again, “Apo- Alright, at least it isn’t a title… I think…” Haha, Isabeau’s confusion was cute.

Stop it, Loop.

They aren’t yours, silly!

Isabeau fake coughed before asking, “What do I… hm… Do you have a name?” Loop tapped their cheek with one finger and looked off to the side, acting like they were thinking before answering, “You can call me Loop.” Isabeau muttered the name under his breath before nodding. So stern! Loop was joking before, but was the Universe playing a trick on them? Was the Researcher spying on them with the Fighter being in on it?

Isabeau readjusted the way he was sitting. That’s fair. The root was probably more Siffrin size. So he was probably a bit uncomfortable. He looked at Loop, “So… what are you? Because-“ Loop quickly interrupted, “A star!~” Isabeau’s inquisitive expression turned into a frustrated one, “No you’re not.” Loop made it a sport of finding the quickest way to irritate someone. Isa’s intellect caught up to him again! The star crossed their legs, “Then what am I?” Isabeau had to think for a moment, “I- You are… I… I may need more evidence.” Loop giggled.

“Okay, so you finally confirmed a theory by calling this a time loop. It's a time loop triggered by either freezing, dying, talking to the head housemaiden, or a moment of extreme distress. But… does it revolve around everyone, or just…” Isabeau inquired, causing Loop to clap, “Oh, Apollo, what a logical mind you have! Why don’t you test it out?” Isabeau was hesitant, “Are you asking me to… kill myself?” The star nodded, “If you’re going to come back, why not try?”

Isabeau looked unnerved. It took him a moment, but he agreed. Loop sighed, “Apollo, dearest, it’s scary. But aren’t all experiments unexpected? Only once. Give me the results, and then we will work from there.”

Isabeau looked at Loop, slightly wary. He didn’t really know what to use. How to… die. He asked, anxious, “But what do I use?” Loop thought for a moment, “The earliest way to die is getting crushed by the rock in the death corridor. The most painless is the tears, which are on basically every floor. Or, you could die in battle. Die like a hero, if you want a virtuous demise.” Isabeau was silent for a moment. The fighter readjusted to sitting a bit closer to himself. Loop continued, “It’ll hurt, but there’s some level of dignity in ‘falling on your blade’. There are sadnesses on every floor, but I doubt Stardust would ever permit you to die that way.” Isabeau added, “Or at all.” Loop nodded, “….Yes. Now you see why this might be tricky.”

Isabeau stood up from his root, saying with a small smile, “I think Sif’s gonna come back in a bit. I should get back to my spot. However, thank you for the idea, Loop. See you soon.” Loop giggled, “A genuine thanks! Gross!” The star’s expression softened, “I greatly appreciated our time together, Apollo. I’ll see you soon. Feel free to call when you’re stuck.”

*ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

Well…

If you want a hint for what’s planned for part 2…

Where do you think our darling Isa would get his evidence of Loop’s identity?

I know SASASAP exists.

See you soon! :>

[bones4thecats]

➸ Death v. Life; Eliza / Idia Shroud × S/O

Character: Eliza and Idia Shroud (separate, but in same part) A/N: The ending was kind of rushed, but I hope it's a good read for you Idia Shroud simps! Disclaimer(s): In this timeline, Eliza kidnaps the Reader and not Idia. This means she 'loves' the Reader and not our favorite flame-headed introvert. Btw; Reader's Outfit and Brooch

╔══════════════════════════════════════════╗

╚═════ Eliza vs. Idia Shroud ═══════════════════════╝

💍🎮 You walked around the campus with your headphones blaring the playlist that Yuu had made you the day prior. It was very energetic, which you appreciated

💍🎮 The announcement of a Ghost Bride coming by was shown to everyone in the vicinity, but you believed you would be far from her taste. You were far from the average person, from a young age you got intro trouble, which became to much for your body to handle

💍🎮 You had run through the nearby forest when you were young and ended up getting your body extremely injured during your little 'quest'. Thankfully, a passerby found you and brought you to the hospital where they had to give you multiple surgeries to amputate the right arm, both legs, and left eye of yours replaced or enhanced

💍🎮 Because of the enhancements made, you had a full tech-based pair of legs, single arm, and parts of it inside of your eye. Growing up was hard after that, as you grew fearful of the outside world and became a recluse, but you were growing out of your shell since you met Yuu and they began helping you talk to others again

💍🎮 You adored the magic-less human, while many found him annoying and a waste of space at the school, you thought they fit in perfectly. After all, what human of no value could handle things like overblots multiple times without dying?

💍🎮 As your mind raced with the thoughts of your human companion and his cat, Grim, you failed to hear the sounds of movement behind you. Only when you felt something rush past you that you took your headphones off and readied your magic wand, veins starting to glow as your magical energy charged for a spell

"Who's there? Reveal yourself!" You ordered, looking at the nearby bushes.

💍🎮 The next thing you knew, you were seeing nothing but the darkness that matched the halls of Ignihyde before passing out cold and being wrapped in a sack

══✿══╡

💍🎮 Groaning as your eyes slowly opened, you were shocked to see you being bound by your wrists as a ghost busied himself with your hair, styling the long-locks into a long ponytail with a lace-braid. You furrowed your eyebrows as you tried focusing on your surroundings

"Where... ugh... where am I?" You asked.

"In your dressing room, Lord/Lady L/N." He answered, adding a tiny brooch on the lapel of the suit jacket.

💍🎮 The ghost then floated to the door and nodded at two ghost knights, causing them to come inside and begin dragging you out of the room and down the halls. You yelled, trying to get out of their grasp, but you kept failing. Despite being dead, they were extremely strong with their grip

"Let me go, you sick assholes!"

"I recommend you stay silent unless you wish to disrespect your future wife."

"My future what?!"

══✿══╡

🎮 Ortho rushed through the halls at full-speed. Ignihyde dorm members were all balled up in their rooms while he dashed by, they all knew that it was the little robot who was going by, but they could care less about the entire issue at the moment

🎮 As he approached his brother's room, he checked the Night Raven College's camera footage and his eyes widened even more as he saw you being practically dragged down the aisle to where that ghost bride stood, awaiting your presence across from her

"Big brother! Y/N needs help!" He yelled.

🎮 Idia jumped and screamed, clinging onto a nearby blanket as his heart pounded quickly in fear. He then stood up with a small shake as he asked what was going on with Ortho

"Y/N needs help, Idia!"

"What do you mean? Did their arms or something start glitching? They've fixed it before..."

"No, big brother... you remember the announcement about the Ghost Bride?"

"...yeah?"

"She has Y/N! They're all dressed up and everything so the bride can marry them!"

"WHAT?!" He yelled, hair going from a calm, almost ocean-like blue, to a vibrant orange and red, matching the fire it looked like.

🎮 Ortho nodded and began to recant everything he heard from the other first years. As the third-year listened to the boys telling him everything that happened, from being kicked out for trying to save you from your dressing room to making their plan to get back inside to get you back safe

"Idia, you need to help save them."

"Do I need too?"

"YES."

"...fine."

══✿══╡

💍 Eliza smiled as you were walked down the aisle to where you would stand across from her. She always wanted this, the perfect spouse. She always believed she was to marry a prince that fit her description down to the dot, but now she wanted you, not that old dream instilled in her

💍 You kept struggling against the guards as the other NRC students watched with slight fear and guilt for you being in this situation. Everyone knew you had some issues with being forced in things, but this was a whole other level

"My future spouse, you look amazing." Eliza said as you stood across from her, arms still bound behind your back.

"Please... let me go." You said.

"I'm sorry, but no. You'll understand after a while."

💍 As the Minister opened his book to speak the whole story to you both, the doors were slammed open and there revealed Ortho, eyes overwhelmed with anger, the other first years (including Yuu and Grim), with matching expressions, and Idia, who's hair was erupted in complete rage

"Let Y/N go."

"Yeah! They asked nicely more times than necessary!" Yuu yelled.

💍🎮 The Ghost Bride narrowed her eyes in anger as she began yelling about how inconsiderate they were of her special day

"I'll give you one last warning, you blue brat. Let my S/O go, or I'll open the gates of the Underworld and throw you from your neck back to the pits where you deserve to be!"

💍🎮 Eliza flinched and screamed, sending her many guards after the group while everyone else watched in shock. You began to struggle again, making a guard look at you and grab your arm, twisting it backwards more to hurt you

"Sucks for you, buddy. My right arm isn't even real." You said, sending your head back to bash him backwards.

💍🎮 The guard when flying as the other boys saw you fight back with your arms pulled backwards. You then heard Epel yell your name, he ran up and pulled out a knife. How he had that without Vil knowing, you really could care less, if it got you out, it got you out

"Thanks, Epel." You said, taking your body and throwing it to get some of the guards down.

💍🎮 A scream was the thing that burst everyone out of their fights. You looked backwards and saw Idia standing above the princess, anger ever so present on his face. He glared at her and gave her one of the most horrifying threats you ever heard leave his mouth

"If you touch my S/O again, I'll take my magic pen and make you fall so many times down into the Underworld that you'll wish you died a second time, got me?"

💍🎮 You sighed and ran up to them, pushing them farther apart. Idia snapped out of his anger and looked at you closer. He was shocked. You look absolutely amazing in your outfit. Those ghosts may have kidnapped you, but they knew how to dress you

"Idia, I'm fine now. Let the Ghost Bride lady go."

"Princess Eliza, are you alright?!" A guard yelled as he helped her up from the ground.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine."

💍🎮 Idia looked at you and sighed, hugging you. It was obvious that he blocked everyone else out and only saw you there at the moment, as he was being very bold at the moment

"Eliza, is it?" You asked.

"Yeah."

"Do you know what consent is?" You asked again, making her eyes slightly widen.

"What?"

"Do you know what consent is?"

"It's the permission to do something with someone, why?"

"Do you think you had my consent to do this wedding with me being the one betrothed to you?"

"...No."

"Then why would you proceed with this idea?"

"I don't... I don't know..."

"If you want love this badly, just look behind you. He obviously cares about you more than anyone I've ever seen. What guard looks at their princess with so much care that they would risk everything for them? Certainly not one that views them platonically, that's for sure."

💍🎮 Eliza looked at the guard, whom was named Puffy, with a shocked expression and they spoke. Confronting one another and their possible feelings and future

💍🎮 You just smiled as Puffy confessed and took your good arm and grabbed Idia's hand, pulling him gently away from the crowd to a more secluded area to speak by yourselves

"I can't believe you came in here with so much confidence. I always thought I'd only see you look like that by yourself playing a video game." You joked, making Idia fluster and look away.

"But. Thank you so much for doing this for me. I love you, Idia."

"I love you more, player two."

[kylobith]

LotR Week - Day 4 (19th Sep)

Gifts, burdens and choices — @lotrweek

The Elves have long stopped their lament, yet a cacophony lingers within Boromir’s mind. The others have gone to sleep, and even Frodo finally seems to dream again. Their snores fill their shared nook. He envies them, he does. Ever since his unsettling meeting with the Lady Galadriel, there has been nothing but turmoil in his soul. Will it ever end, the spiralling?

Exhaustion is there, though, he can feel it deep in his bones. Everything hurts, every muscle in his body. He, who has always been one for exercise and fighting, is not immune to the toll that the past days have taken on the fellowship, on both body and heart. He is no longer as young and fierce as he once was.

But that deeply rooted anguish within him… Ageing has nothing to do with it all. It would have been easy to dismiss it as a symptom of passing time, but that would have meant lying to himself and everyone who shared the weight of the task at hand. There have been too many lies as of late. He may not desire to instantly trust the first person he encounters, but he certainly refuses to continue this vicious circle of deception. What purpose would that serve? The world is a harsh enough place as it is, and the whole plan is to make it a better place.

Just a ring. Nothing but a silly, little ring. The very fate of Middle-earth rests in Frodo’s hands. Embodied by that tiny golden circle. He might not be as well-taught as Aragorn or Faramir are, but even he knows how disastrous the consequences would be should the quest fail. And it is nothing but a stupid ring.

How absurd life has become since his first puzzling dreams that his brother shared with him. Nothing is going according to plan either. It was all simple, though. Go to Rivendell, seek an audience with Elrond, find out the cause of these dreams and their meaning, educate himself on the broken sword, then return to Minas Tirith to inform Denethor on his findings and prepare against any approaching threat. Easy. But not so easy. Now, he is far from home, shivering in the night surrounded by his travel companions, burdened with a quest much greater than what he knows he can handle, and Gandalf is dead. Dead.

He can still remember the wizard’s occasional visits to Minas Tirith back when he was nothing but a boy. While he did spend more time with Faramir than with him — much to Denethor’s relief, after all, why should his precious firstborn’s time be wasted by the fanciful stories of an old man? — he did enjoy his presence, just like any other child did. When the fellowship was formed, he found solace in the knowledge that Gandalf would accompany them. That was at least one familiar element amid the blur.

But now the wizard is gone, and his companions seem to distrust every word he speaks. The Elves who welcomed them were not any warmer to him. He is an outcast where he has always fit in. Acting in teams, coming up with strategies, fighting, camping… None of it is strange to him. If anything, that is what his life has always been. So why, oh why does he feel so inadequate and insecure? Why do the others regard him with such disdain whenever he opens his mouth?

Merry and Pippin do not. Thankfully. Before tragedy struck, he quite enjoyed their company and teaching them new tricks with the sword. The carefree laughs, the games, the jokes… It all reminded him of the time when Faramir was a child and wanted his brother to teach him things, not just a regular teacher. For a moment in the middle of fear and uncertainty, he could slip back to simpler times and relive these memories from so long ago. But now that they have escaped Moria, nothing feels right anymore. The two hobbits hardly ever smile anymore. The innocent glimmers in their eyes have dimmed. Just like the wonder in Faramir’s eyes was snuffed by years of their father’s spite.

They are grown, now.

And all he can do is clutch his chest and muffle his crying. They all need proper rest, and Boromir will not be a bother to them.

Not this time.

[y-rhywbeth2]

First encountering that quest where you try and sabotage the press for attempted slander as Durge was simultaneously disappointing and hilariously relieving. I don't remember why but I thought I was going to get outed as the spawn of Murder and/or a serial killer, but no, it was just made up scaremongering. I also assumed that the bad press would be origin specific or include everyone. idk why, but like slandering Wyll for his infernal pact painting him the way his father sees him, outing Astarion as a vampire, Shadowheart as a Sharran, 'have we mentioned the wizard is a walking bomb?'

Also the fact that you can actually give them factual shit about your murders and hobbies to expose you with and the response is just 'what the actual fuck is wrong with you.'

(Then he refused to print it for being too gory, so they all had to die. Gortash, do better with your schemes please. I'm making a list of improvements for you.)

[eri-pl]

Silm reread 17: more B&L

And more fourth wall, and therefore more Pengolodh.

TW: Some musings about what exactly Morgoth wanted to do with Luthien, but vague and rather silly.

Sauron, like everyone there knew Huan's "die on greatest wolf" prophecy. Where from???

Luthien faints! She's not that OP. Her cloak dazes Sauron and Huan saves the day. She takes the island, Sauron flees and doesn't notice Gondolin (I guess Ulmo did his mist thing).

Luthien says that she claims the island and the island replies! The magic goes away and it all crumbles (described in a very awesome way) and the ex-prisoners are in shock (who wouldn't?).

Luthien faints at the fainted Beren, because she thinks he's dead. Of all the books you had to reference Romeo and Juliet? Professor… It's a parody more than a serious thing. And it's so… But ok, maybe that's the point. Maybe the point is that of course B&L don't harm themselves because they have a functioning braincell. And estel. Not necessarily in this order.

Also, we get the note that Finrod is already with his father in Valinor. When? When is this written? I guess the only way to get this info back from Valinor to ME would be the War of Wrath, or maaaybe Gandalf told Elrond. But Gandalf barely remembered anything, so more like War of Wrath. Or Galadriel saw him in the mirror and she told Elrond who added this to the book. This would make sense.

Do we have any info on "Finrod got reembodied quickly" except this line above + fanon?

Nargothrond rebels against C&C and Orodreth becomes king. He doesn't kill them because he is afraid of getting more Doom of Mandos. This… isn't a very moral attitude. Well, at least he doesn't kill them.

Also, Celebrimbor disowns his dad. Or at least his dad's deeds.

Beren, against his better judgment, tries to leave Luthien in safety but she tells him it doesn't work this way.

They fight C&C. Luthien forbids Beren to kill Curufin. Which is great of her. (I wonder what she'd say about Celegorm, but probably the same.)

Curufin curses Beren. "Taking the sky and clouds as his witness" – I guess he is too afraid / too ashamed to mention the Valar. :þ He wishes Beren a painful death, soon. Which …kind of works?

Celegorm tbh doesn't do much in here. He does fight Beren, but Curufin seems to be the boss.

Beren is desperate, leaves alone, sings, Luthien (who was searching for him because no, she won't let him go on the quest alone) sings back. Again. It's not a full rescue, but still, it is the song thing again.

Description of Thuringwethil, who is just a large bat with iron (liteerally? metaphorically?) talons. And Sauron's mail-lady. Mail-monster? Sadly, we don't get an info on who killed her.

Beren curses his promise to Thingol, Huan lectures him, gives him a sort of prophecy and leaves. Why is everyone cursing things all the time?

Morgoth also knows what Huan's fate is (Everyone knows it. How? Did Celegorm gloat about it?), also, more info on how werewolves are made. So, Carcaroth.

Luthien gets a burst of Maiarin powers (because fate, plot and all. Yes. I know. But this is the genre.)

We got an absolute metal description of Morgoth's throne room: "his nethermost hall that was upheld by horror, lit by fire, and filled with weapons of death and torment". Upheld by horror. This is just peak description. (as long as it's sparse and the rest of description is actual description. Yes, HPL, I am looking at you) unspeakably

Morgoth, umm, reacts in a similar way as Celegorm, and we're told that it was the wickest idea he got since he escaped from Valinor. Which:

I respect Tolkien for putting it so high on the wickedness meter

Does the "since he escaped" addition mean that killing the Trees was more wicked??? Sorry, I'm not buying it. Depraving the Elves? Hmm. Making orcs was more wicked in my opinion (in the "from broken Elves" theory), and he indeed invented it before the whole imprisonment in Valinor, so I would like to assume this is what the narration means, but I somehow doubt it.

Please don't tell me that indirectly giving Feanor bad ideas was somehow more wicked than this. :|

Also, him and the Men… but that is vaguely canon and anyway Pengolodh said himself that he doesn't know what happenned, so this doesn't count. Because if it counted, this "most wicked" would be false.

And of course it turns against him. He gets blinded, everyone else falls asleep, the Silmarils glow brighter (reacting to Luthien?).

Out of the blue, we now get a quite sympathetic description of Morgoth being so tired and terrified and worried and …. see, Jirt, that's why. That's why I can't read him as you would like me to. Seriously. If you don't want me to have compassion for the guy, do not show him as emotionally vulnerable. Seriously. [Unless it is the translation again]

Yea, I could blame this on narrative frame (which goes on and off, in one paragraph he doesn't know things, and in the other he almost knows what Morgoth's inner emotional state is) and say that Pengolodh made it up… except it's very much a kind of thing he would not make up, rather cut out… I would have to assume some other author or editor added this for some reasons… If I were to guess, this very much sounds like something Luthien would say when telling this story. (Which tells us a lot about her)

Anyway: book, what are you doing?

And Luthien puts Morgoth to sleep (which is an achievement!!!), "as black as the Outer Void where he once wandered alone". Jirt. Seriously. Stop giving me ammunition to like him. I almost wish I had more normal reactions and, idk, assumed more details on what he planned about Luthien or anything that would allow me to read it closer to the authorial intent. (Because with how cautiously you worded it, it might have as well been planning to propose to her and make her a dark queen, Haladriel-style, but cooler. And from a book that says "corrupting Fefe was one of the worst" I could assume this would be still called "wickedest since fefe". I know that's not what you mean, but I wish I could internalize it more.)

My brain is not braining properly. (Also I can't learn to not mistake "wonder" and "wander" every once in a while. I blame it on that one song from RoP. Which is almost as uneven in quality in my eyes as this chapter.)

At least, we get a description of how the Silmarils were set in the crown. (Also, my drawing was wrong, because Morgoth falls face-down.)

Beren takes the Silmaril and it glows through his flesh like in a lantern (White or red? Seems more like white, but red often works better with fanart.)

Luthien is out of spell points tired, Beren tries to use the Silmaril on Carcaroth, saying "this is the fire that will destroy you and all the evil creatures" which I think is quite stupid, so Carcaroth promptly bites off his hand, chomps the Silmaril and runs away because he's in pain.

"Stupid but well-intentioned thing doesn't work but gets the result anyway" is a trope I like, but sadly in Legendarium it is terribly rare. Again, B&L have a different genre than the Feanorians. :(

Another "the most X to ever X": Carcaroth's rage is the most terrible thing to happen to Beleriand (before the War of Wrath). OK, I can believe this, I think.

Eagles! They should really have a tagline about providing eucatastrophes. It's their main job.

Morgoth is probably awake, because volcano and lightnings are striking from the gound (lightning seems to be his thing, and thunderstorms in general too).

Luthien (in contrast to Sauron) can see Gondolin down below and it gets a beautiful (but short) description. Also, she'd rather wander aimlessly with Beren because she is so happy, but he remembers that he gave his word, also Thingol deserves to see his daughter, despite all his problematic behavior. Beren is so kind.

We get a lot of information from Luthien's PoV in this story, more than Beren's, which confirms to me that in-world, this is derived from Thingol's retellings of their story, and Luthien told him more than Beren did. Also, he was unconcious in many important moments.

Also, we get a note that it's bad to ignore father's opinion, "unless in extreme situation" which sounds quite feminist to me, considering Tolkien's times and the genre.

Meanwhile in Doriath:

Daeron left Doriath to be sad for Luthien's disappearance (we aren't told if he even learned that she returned with Beren). Well, he did snitch on her twice. :þ Also, we are reminded that "he was considered better even than Maglor". :Þ

Thingol is mad at Celegorm (for the "let me marry Luthien pls" letter + probably for Finrod's death), he'd like to attack all Feanorians, but can't, so he writes to Maedhros demanding help in finding Luthien, but the letter gets eaten by Carcaroth (probably. Definitely doesn't reach its destination) so we don't know what Maedhros would do.

[I think: berate Celegorm, agree to help with Luthien and demand the Silmaril for it. Which… Thingol may have agreed to tbh. He cared for Luthien more. So, maybe if it wasn't for Carcaroth things would be better. Even for Celegorm. There's a fic potential in here.]

Oh, here is Mablung. He will be in CoH too, I think.

Thingol is still not a fan of Beren. Until the hand pun. Absolutely realistic father-in-law behavior. :D I love the genre whiplash.

And the narrative tells us that Luthien's love is a feeling unknown before and all the powers of Arda cannot stop B&L's fate. I'm not a fan of this sentence, it makes me cringe a bit. Did I mention that I dislike romance as a genre?

Anyway Thingol ok-s it and they get married.

Hunt for Carcaroth. The way in which Mablung takes the Silmaril gives me a vague Arthurian (Grail) vibe, but I'm not sure. It is weird and the disappearing hand seems the medieval sort of weird?

Beren dies, Luthien … It doesn't say explicitely that she died of grief. I would prefer to believe that it was more like her Maiarin instinct… she went to Mandos, because she had a business there.

Also. Men after their death sail from the dark shores of the Outer Sea — what? That is so cool. And who runs the port there, who has a house on the very edge? Nienna! This is just so fascinating. Early-Legendarium-like but in the best way.

Luthien sings the most beautiful song that has been made. OK, I can buy that. And, says Pengolodh, there wasn't, nor will ever be a saddest song. My guy, you would sound wiser if you stopped saying what will be and what will not be, you are not Namo. But anyway, her song is beautiful and very, very sad.

This song is so amazing that it's still sang in Valinor, without any change, and the Valar are sad. that is… interesting to explore. It is about Men and Elves and even Namo is sad… yes, I am definitely getting ideas. Which may be explored some day. Or not.

I wonder whether we get the words of it in the Lay... No, the Lay doesn't go this far. I therefore will assume that it starts with "the stars have faded" or something similar, like we have described Luthien's grief in the chapter: "the starlight was quenched and darkness had fallen even upon Lúthien Tinúviel"

B&L say their goodbyes, Namo is so moved that he goes to Manwe, Manwe goes to (metaphorically; mentally in his deepest mind) Iluvatar, Luthien gets a choice.

And the invitation to forget Beren and live among the Valar… I'm not sure what is the exact deal here? Is she offered just a normal Elven Valinorean deal or to make her a full-on Maia? Because it kind of sounds like this. And… why not? The word "impossible" got yeeted out the window anyway (I love such situations, of course I do, I love the insane out-of-the-box-ness as Mairon loved order and efficiency, but hopefully the other way around ie.: it is a problem first and not last).

Anyway we don't know what exactly was the first option, because she choses Beren (I really like to think it was less about "romance means so much to me, I am not complete without my man" and more about "it feels like a beautiful idea (and I do love him and forgetting it sounds cheap and too easy)" but … have I mentioned I don't like romance as a genre?)

Luthien was the only Elda to truely die… Yep. Hold our beers and behold our fics. (Or maybe it is just my optics that Elves going "because Luthien made a precedent" is a fic staple? Anyway this makes too much sense to not use it.)

Yes, she's the only one in the canon. She died and it's sad. But we got half-Elves which is cool. Also, and we got a teaser for Elrond and Arwen:

"Yet in her choice the Two Kindreds have been joined; and she is the forerunner of many in whom the Eldar see yet, though all the world is changed, the likeness of Lúthien the beloved, whom they have lost."

Also, poor Elrond. This paragraph shows us how he is seen by other Eldar. First and foremost as a memory of a long-lost legend. :(

I feel like I missed some of the cool parts, but nevermind. TLDR: Luthien cool, narrative frame inconsistent.

[pinkstilettos-onmyface]

Watching The Hobbit as a female writer and I’m sooooo determined to do an all woman fantasy quest story one day I must have it I must make it mine my precious

(Because of the painful lack of women in this genre)

[gloriousmonsters]

love when you can ask the Narrator why the Princess is a Princess and he's like 'well i uhhhh YOU did that. maybe it's because uh... something something about her being above you... but still approachable... look i don't want to analyze or anthropomorphize your--' my guy. i am a primal being of Order and Eternity and Shaping. You're the one who convinced me I was some dude and were quite willing to take credit for shaping my view on the world through narration five seconds ago. Are you gonna look me in the eye and tell me the desire to interpret something worthy of adoration and more powerful than me as a dommy princess is written in the very nature of the universe or are you going to show me your browser history like a man

[louwhose]

I love Frieren and Himmel's relationship so much and I mean of course I do there's so much to love. An elf that thinks a human's life passes away in the blink of an eye and human that loves her? I'm already hooked. But add into that he doesn't say anything because he knows nothing will come of it with how she views things when he knows her and is content to just admire her for all she is as she is? The fact that she cares for him in spite of thinking his life is so short and getting to know him in the time they were together but regretting not coming to know him better after he died? I mean she's literally following their journey and remembering him along the way and the end destination is the chance to see him again, but I feel like she'll realize she truly know and loved him even if they never reach heaven.

And there's just. So many tiny details. I will try to recount a lot, but I'm sure I won't get all of them.

Frieren remembers so much about him. Regardless of where they go, it's usually a memory about him more than anyone else. She remembers his favorite flower, and takes the time to find it (though she doesn't consider time a least bit rare commodity). And she remembers it, which means that even though at one point she didn't try to learn about her companions, she afterwards made the point to remember their favorite things. And when she talked with Old Man Voll, who was regretting losing his memories of his late wife and asked if she could still remember her companions clearly, she refused to consider that she ever won't. She considers their memories that precious.

And then there's Himmel. Oh my goodness. Beyond just his initial attraction, the way he's always fascinated by her magic and her making enough of an impression on him at a young age that he sought her out years later for such an important quest is delightful. And did I mention that he just loves her magic? BECAUSE HE DOES!! And it helps her to love collecting her weird spells that much more, so good and supportive, Himmel.

And fear not I shan't neglect to mention the mirrored lotus ring because I am incapable of being normal about that scene. He had Frieren choose a ring (my respectful man there where can I get me a Himmel) and when he saw which one she chose he knew what it meant and chose to present it to her in a way that was sure to be memorable to her. Even though she didn't yet know the meaning of it, once she does, she can look back on the memory of him pledging his love eternally to her, an immortal, in spite of his mortality. He may be content to never say it, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't like her to know.

And now I am going to talk about a manga arc that ends on like. Chapter 118/119? So spoilers if you choose to proceed any further.

Frieren has spent so long now working towards seeing Himmel again and then she. GETS TO SEE HIM AGAIN!!! I am certain that if I scoured this arc I could find soooo many details for them (and I am tempted but instead I will focus on a few details that come to mind and analyzing one very specific thing about it.

Just. Himmel saying he likes who she's become, not having any clue that he was a major influence for her becoming that way. I just love that he appreciates her at every stage she's at it's just so uwu. and then when FRIEREN said he's a ray of light??? omg omg omg omg oomg I die they both just see the best in each other and I live for it.

And Then There's The Wedding. If you read this far on this and didn't expect me to gush over this part here is where I disillusion you. Himmel's feelings for Frieren have been pretty obvious up to this point, but seeing that he would in his ideal world want to marry her and spend his life with her is GRAHHHHHHHHHH there's no words to describe it. and like. Frieren is there too? how am I supposed to interpret that but as her own paradise? even if it's as a looser interpretation of she wanted to spend all of Himmel's life with him??? INSANEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeee

and then the fact that Himmel had his dreams presented before him, but he felt something was off, and didn't take advantage of it. Not even for a kiss. THIS RESPECTFUL MAN what is there not to like if anyone is good enough for Frieren it is without a doubt him. and the way they work together to get out of it???? oh man I love it

idk I just love their dynamic I think it's great and full of unfulfilled potential and I hope they get something some kind of closure if Frieren really does make it to see him again I just really love thinking about them thank you for coming to my presentation

[dykedvonte]

An independent Courier would actually hate being in charge or enforcing standards in New Vegas. At least in my mind.

They made Vegas independent but I feel like that playthrough/style so clearly makes it apparent it isn't for them. They are making Vegas a place where people can live freely, like how House genuinely didn't care what people did but without the behind-the-scenes Big Brother surveillance he did. Having every family, faction, and other influence group or person comes to them about alliances or rules would be draining, and boring, one note.

In an independent Vegas, The Courier is also Independent. They like getting rid of lines and borders that impede freedom, they like to help give people the tool but I don't believe they want to be the one to shape it.